Minnesota T-Wolves Blog – Page 29 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves waive Andre Miller

The Minnesota Timberwolves waived guard Andre Miller today. Their roster currently stands at 14 players.

“Andre was a consummate professional and set a good example for our younger players on what it takes to be a pro in this league,” said Timberwolves general manager Milt Newton. “We wish him the best.”

Miller, in his 17th NBA season, played in 26 games for the Wolves this year, averaging 3.4 points, on 62.1% shooting, and 2.2 assists. He has career averages of 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 1,291 games.

Day after loss to Sixers, Timberwolves hold team meeting

The Philadelphia 76ers are an improved basketball team lately. Still, a loss to them can put some teams over the edge. Not to be over-dramatic; the Minnesota Timberwolves have been searching for an identity all season. But after falling to Philly yesterday, the Timberwolves (12-23 record, tied for 25th in the league) decided today was going the time for some good honest conversation. Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting:

Instead of a regular practice Tuesday, the Timberwolves did a little housecleaning.

Interim coach Sam Mitchell and the players watched some film. Then players and coaches went out onto the practice court, stood in a circle near midcourt, and spent about 90 minutes clearing the air.

“We talked about what we wanted to be as a team,” Mitchell said. “Normally the coach is the one who’s always talking. But we let the players talk. What are the goals for the year, as a team, individually? And I think it was good for us.’’

Mitchell encouraged everyone to talk, both veterans and young players.

Some of the themes?

According to Mitchell, much of the talk was about sacrifice. What sacrifices – both great and small – that each player needs to make to make the team better. The need for the young players to learn to focus for the length of a game was talked about, too.

Kristaps Porzingis, Karl-Anthony Towns named NBA Rookies of Month for December, 2015

New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis and Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in December.

This is the second consecutive NBA Rookie of the Month award for Porzingis, who ranked second among East rookies in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg) and first among all rookies in blocked shots (2.20 bpg). Porzingis posted four point-rebound double-doubles and blocked three or more shots in six games. He also shot 36.6 percent (15-of-41) from three-point range for the month. During a 91-84 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 23, Porzingis made 4-of-5 from three-point range en route to 23 points and added 13 rebounds and four assists.

Towns, who also earns his second straight NBA Rookie of the Month award, led all first-year players in scoring (18.6 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg) and ranked second in blocks (1.56 bpg). He recorded eight point-rebound double-doubles in December and produced eight games with at least 20 points. Towns shot 55.3 percent from the field for the month and made at least half his shots in 14 of 16 games. During a 123-122 overtime win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 9, Towns posted 26 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month were Charlotte’s Frank Kaminsky, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, the Los Angeles Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell, Miami’s Justise Winslow and Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor.

Andrew Wiggins drawing more defensive attention

Andrew Wiggins is averaging 21.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Timberwolves (9-12). Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting that teams have taken notice of Wiggins’ skills and are putting more help defenders around him:

It happened again to Andrew Wiggins a couple of times Wednesday night.

The Wolves guard got the ball, dribbled into the paint and went to that spin move he has used so effectively this season. But when he turned, there was a wall of Lakers defenders waiting for him.

“I tell our players all the time,” interim coach Sam Mitchell said. “They watch film, too.”

They, in this case, are Wolves opponents. And the film they’ve been watching clearly includes Wiggins, whose game has taken a quantum jump this season.

He has scored in double figures in 18 of his 20 games, scored 20 points or more 11 times, 30 or more three times.

And he is becoming a marked man.

Kevin Martin moving into Timberwolves starting lineup

The Minnesota Timberwolves, led by 21.5 ppg from Andrew Wiggins, 16.0 ppg from Karl-Anthony Towns, 13.9 ppg from Zach Lavine, and 13.3 from Kevin Martin, are 0-6 at home and 5-2 on the road. Unusual. Overall, they’re 5-8 and in need of a boost. Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting the latest on Martin, who has started just one of the 12 games he’s played this season:

Some have been waiting for it for a while, but Sunday Wolves coach Sam Mitchell said he’s ready to make the change. Starting with Monday’s game against winless Philadelphia at Target Center, Mitchell is going to move Kevin Martin into the starting lineup, move Tayshaun Prince to the bench and ratchet up Shabazz Muhammad’s minutes.

“It was never my mentality for Tayshaun to play this amount of minutes,” Mitchell said of Prince, who has started and averaged 22.2 minutes, 3.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. “It was just to get us off to a start. I need to increase Bazz’s minutes. He’s been playing well. So I’m going to decrease Tayshaun’s minutes.”

No home wins for Timberwolves yet

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting on the Timberwolves, who haven’t won a home game yet and host the Detroit Pistons tonight:

One thing becomes clear after talking with a few Timberwolves players after today’s morning shootaround:

This team wants very much to end this zero-for-home thing. The Wolves enter tonight’s game with Detroit at Target Center at 5-7 overall, with all five victories coming on the road. At home the team is 0-5 at home. And while both emotions and injuries might have played into that, it has gotten old quickly.

“I hope tonight is the night,” Andrew Wiggins said.

The Pistons come into the game with an impressive victory over Cleveland Tuesday, a victory that ended a four-game losing streak. That came after Detroit started the season 5-1.

Timberwolves players will wear commemorative patch for Flip Saunders

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team will wear a commemorative patch on their jersey during the 2015-16 season in honor of recently passed President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Flip Saunders.

The patch will be worn for the first time on Monday, November 2, as the Timberwolves open the home portion of the 2015-16 season against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The team will wear the patch for all home and road games for the balance of the season beginning on November 2.

Tragic: Flip Saunders has died

Announcement from the Timberwolves:

It is with extreme sadness that the Minnesota Timberwolves today learned that Phil “Flip” Saunders, who served as the team’s President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach, in addition to being a minority owner of the team, passed away today at age 60.

The organization will follow up with more information as it becomes available.

Timberwolves waive Lorenzo Brown, Kleon Penn, Nick Wiggins

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived guard Lorenzo Brown, center Kleon Penn and guard Nick Wiggins. With the moves, the Wolves training camp roster stands at 15 players.

Brown, originally signed by the Wolves to a 10-day contract on January 28, registered averages of 4.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 13.1 minutes over five preseason contests. The 6’5 guard appeared in 29 games last season for the Wolves averaging 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 18.9 minutes per game. Brown was Minnesota’s second round selection (52nd overall) in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Penn, signed on September 18, appeared in three preseason games totaling one rebound in nine minutes.

Wiggins was signed by the Wolves on September 18. He played in four preseason contests registering seven points in 14 minutes.

Andrew Wiggins a shooting guard?

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting interesting stuff on one of the Timberwolves’ most important young talents:

In a game gone small, Timberwolves interim coach Sam Mitchell is playing the contrarian.

While playing two point guards in the same lineup becomes more common in the NBA, Mitchell has turned to reigning Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins — all 6-8 of him — to start at shooting guard and be Ricky Rubio’s backcourt partner after an experiment to nurture Zach LaVine at that spot lasted but three preseason games.

While coaches such as Phoenix’s Jeff Hornacek and Dallas’ Rick Carlisle have taken to playing two point guards in recent years, Mitchell likes Wiggins’ move from small forward to shooting guard precisely because of his size and the benefits Mitchell believes it presents on both ends of the court.

“You know the NBA,” Mitchell said. “You’ve got to [create] some matchup problems when you go out there. I like Andrew at the 2 [shooting guard]. I think it gives him an advantage because of his size.”